Clara Simpson starts with a strong performance, and is superb when reduced to just a head in what is one of Beckett’s most optimistic works

A common misconception is that Winnie is buried in the sand, when, in fact,
she has sunk. This differentiation makes Samuel Beckett’s Happy Days a more
straightforward play. Disappearing with age and irrelevance, Winnie is waist
deep when we meet her, and fears that the earth will soon reach her breasts.
Willie sits with his back to her. After years together, he no longer sees
her. But Winnie perseveres, which is why some consider this Beckett’s most
optimistic work. She continues to apply lipstick and use toothpaste,
although, of course, both are running out. A mere grunt from her husband
thrills her. She talks of a younger couple who have passed by. The man
cannot understand why Willie (Andrew Bennett) allows his wife to remain no
good to him, covered in sand. Youth see the end of marriage, and their
inevitable future, as only they can. Clara Simpson starts with